A pizza box, a card and a few thoughtful words are what seven members of Webelos I of Cub Scout Pack 457 used to brighten the recent holiday season for some area citizens.

The boys, who are between the ages of 9 and 10 and attend Conrad Weiser West Elementary School, repurposed the boxes and made them into gift packages for patients in Reading Health System Acute Rehabilitation Center and homebound members of Zion Lutheran Church in Womelsdorf, where the pack meets.

Lisa Marderness, Den Leader for Webelos I, came up with the project idea.

"She came to me and said one of these Monday nights we're going to work on this," said Johl Light, Cubmaster of Pack 457 and a Newmanstown resident.

At this time, the boys were working on earning their citizen activity pin. This pin is one of 20 the boys must earn to achieve the rank of Webelos, which is the membership level for fourth- and fifth-graders. Each of the pins have specific requirements the boys must complete.

Marderness and Light both thought the project was a nice complement to the boys' citizen pin activities because it required them to reach out to members of the community.

"It teaches youth about community leadership and community service and about helping and being responsible," Light said. "It's a great program."

To make the packages, the boys decorated single-slice pizza boxes. They included an inspirational message and candy cane inside the boxes and addressed holiday cards to go with each package.

Light visited the boys during the meeting when they made the gift boxes and cards.

"They were having a blast," he said, adding some boys even took supplies home with them to make more packages on their own time.

They made 24 packages, which three of the boys distributed to patients on a Saturday in December. The other four boys wanted to help but were not able to make it that day due to other commitments.

"The patients reactions were very good," Light said. "They were happy to see the boys, and it was received very well."

The pastor of Zion Lutheran Church delivered the remaining packages on behalf of the boys during her home visits last month.

Light said one of the congregation members was so touched by the sentiment that she wrote a thank-you letter for the package.

The boys also brought a sample box to the pack's December meeting to show other members their project. Light said he is not sure if other den leaders are interested in doing a similar project and, since it is holiday related, it would be next year until they considered it anyway.

"But we do other service projects throughout the year," he said. "We try to stay as active as possible throughout the community."

Light said anytime the boys can go into the community and interact with citizens, it is good for Boy Scouts in general and helps raise awareness of Scouting programs.

"To me, it was a very gracious gesture on behalf of the boys with getting involved in the community, getting out in the community and having people see what Scouts do and that Scouts still exist," Light said.